SALUDOS!M/M Bill HoffApdo. 3166San Pedrg SulaHonduras, Central
America504-566-3796e-mail: [email protected]
OfficeP.O. Box 61013Las Vegas,
NV89160-2013MEXICOSOUTHAMERIC^fromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONPublished
Quarterly Vol. 30, Number1 Winter 1999HURRICANEMITCHLastOctober
30thHurricane Mitchhit Honduras. AlthoughSanPedro Sulaproper wasnot
directly affected, it diddevastatemuch of thecountry. Thecoastal
citiesweredamaged, butthehardesthit areaswerelocatedin the interior
due to flooding andmud slides. There are many rivers and small
streams throughoutthe country. Fifty inches of rain or more raised
their levels severalfeet higher than normal. They became raging
bodies ofwater whichtotally destroyed anything in their
paths;including bridges, trees,animals, houses and people.For the
first few days after the hurricane, Bill used his amateurradio
skills helping in the communication center ofthe Army base.The
Army, firefighters and radio operators were quick to respondto the
rescuing of people and providing help. Almost anyone whohad a boat
wasout rescuingpeople fromtheir housetopsor anyspotof higher
ground. Meanwhile, Margy spent her time incommunication in
thehouse. There were many telephone callsfrom friends and
missionaries in Honduras along with concernedpeople in theStates.
Cellular phones werea real blessing at thattime. They made it
possible to knowthat our missionaries inremoteareas were remaining
safe. Therewere also many e-mails. Margywould no sooner answer an
e-mail when several others would comein.A few daysafter the main
storm hadpassed, the Hoffs' rolechangedto baggingfoodfor
reliefTheirdiningroombecame aproduction line. Manypeople
helpedthemas theypurchasedfoodbythe tons and then converted it
intotwelve poundpackages (rice,beans, tortilla flour, lard,
spaghetti, sauce and salt) and distributedthe bags. Shortly before
Christmas, the remaining food was takenThe raging waters took out
one road between our homeanddowntown.out tothe
institute.Currentlyall the bagging isdone there,
utilizingthefoodthat arrivedinthefour containersthat weresent
fromNorthern Kentucky. Manythanks to Markand Shanda
OakleyandTomSchnellerand the otherswho helpedin the organizing
andloading of the containers. Thetortillaflour and saltare the
onlythings that are presently being purchased to fill out the
bags.The distribution of foodand clothing is being donebasicallyin
the Santa Rita area. This town is only about 20 minutes from
theBible institute, but it takes several hours to drive the thirty
milesback into the mountains where the need is the greatest. The
bridgebetween SantaRita and the Institute was badly damagedbut
hasremained open thus far. It will take at least an hour and a
halfto takeanalternate routetothat areawhenthebridge falls inor
thegovernment finally decides to repair it. In the Municipal area
(likea county), thereare over 750families that havelost
theirhomes.The Hoffs and others are working to feed and reestablish
some ofthem.THEHELPERSMARGARITA- worked in the house for Bill and
Margy fromSeptember until December. She was thefastest in
thebagging offood and rice from 100 pound sacksinto 4
poundpackages.THEGILENS - a Russianfamily the
Hoffsarehiringparttime to help in reliefwork. They are tireless in
working to help theWe usedto drive across this dry creek.Many
ofthesuburbs ofSanPedro Sulafilledupwithmudandtvater.people of
HondurasTOBIN&AMYHILL- arefairlynewmissionarieswhohavea
ministry in the Merendon mountains about halfan hour from SanPedro.
Theyare contributingfunds,their4-wheel drivepickup, andmanyhours of
labor in Hurricane reliefKATHYBUTLER- isa friendofMargy who lives
inTexas.She and her family were in San Pedro for a few months
severalyearsago. Through e-mails she realized that Margyneeded
someencouragement, so spent a week doing just that and also
physicallyhelping in the work.GROUP FROM HAZELWOOD - Sevenmembers
of theHazelwoodChristian Churchin Clayton, Indiana,came to
help.They were ajoy to have around and were veryhard and
ingeniousworkers. They built a box onthe back of Tobin's pickupand
a rackon the back of Bill's Chevy pickupso that more supplies could
behauled per trip. They unloaded two containers, bagged
clothing,drove vehicles and distributed food and clothing.FAME work
group - Kevin Dooleybrought a group to visitTobin and Amy Hill.
Since they all met in the Hoffs' house, the\'were willing to spend
a few hours in the bagging of food.THE STUDENTS - Thefour students
at theBibleinstitutehelped unload the first two containers andmoved
many boxes.Now there areeight students and they are rapidly
finishing thebagging of beans andricethatweresent in the
containers.Thefood bagging beingmovedto theInstitute.Right:
TheHoff'sdiningroom becamean assembly line.HOFF'S FAMILY- Rebecca,
Mark and JoyHoff, andRickand BeckyRowan(Joy's parents) spent a
coupleofdays inbaggingfood and also two long days in helping with
distribution while theywereinHonduras.JOHNAND MADONNA SPRATT-
aremissionaries inLas Brisas deChamelecon. Their areabecamean
islandformany days. Bill and Margy prepared food for them shortly
afterthe hurricane. Bill deliveredit as far as he could drive and
thenit was takenby boat to their house. Theywerein town early
inJanuary witha couple of visitorsfrom theStates sotheyspentseveral
hourspreparing 270 bags of foodat the institute. Theywere grateful
that theycould help theHoffs since theHoffs hadhelped
thempreviously.Muchworkisyet tobedonein Honduras. Last report
has8,058mi$sing(probahlydeadby now), 5,657dead, 1,482,659without
homes, and 12,272hurt. Aspecialthanks toeveryoneinthe States
andHonduras that havehelped thus farinalleviating the painof the
peopleinHonduras. BillandMargy continue toprayfor wisdom in using
thefunds andsuppliesthat are sent their way. Theydesire to usetheir
timewisely inrelief work, theinstitute, the church, and otherareas
of their ministry.It tookafour-wheel drivetractor toget thefirst
container out ofthe mudRight toleft: Aleck Gilen,
BillHoJf,TohinHill, CongressmanAntonio Galvez, and Tod Field.BABY
DEDICATION SERVICETheEnglishspeaking congregationin San Pedro
Sulahasexperienced much change in membership during its two years
ofexistence. Themusic directorhasreturnedtothe States alongwith a
former pastor fromthe States whodid most of thepreaching. But just
when it seems like thereis no one to fulfillthenecessary
positions,someone newcomes andis willing tohelp, or one ofthe
current members makes known that they haveabilitiesreadytobeused
for theLord. Rebecca Hoff toldhermother, "Don't worryMom, God has
taken care ofthe church inthepast and hewill continue todoso."
Thisis true.Thegroup will alwaysbe very transient, but
thechurchisavailablefor those whowant to hear
God'sWordandreceivethe Lord's Supper. The Hoffs' desire is for the
people ofthe SanPedro area andthemanyvisitors that come toHonduras
tobeblessed. Arecordattendanceof ninety-threewasreachedonNovember
24th. This daywasdesignated as "Baby DedicationDay." Five babies or
small children were dedicated to theLord.This wasalso theSunday
that thechurch enjoyed their sharedThanksgiving dinner. It truly
was a day ofworship and fellowshipfor everyone.One ofthe babies
dedicated.THEINSTITUTELast yearwhen Bill set thestart up
dateforthisyear'sclasses, he could not have dreamed how the school
year wouldbeaffectedbyclimaticconditions. Classes started on
September19, eleven days before the hurricane, and there were
fourstudents. A1Young hadflown downfrom SanDiego, CA toteachthebook
of Hebrews. A weeklater a bridge between theschool and SanPedro
washed out in a freak storm. The
highwayauthoritiesquicklymadetemporaryrepairs, but a weeklaterBill
saw that the temporary bridge was caving in. He announceda school
vacation and sent the students home. That proved to
beagooddecision. (Hurricane Mitch wasstill off the coast.)Mitch did
not turn North as predicted, but South, and the rest ishistory.When
the Hoffsreceivedwordthat theyweretoreceivesome relief containers,
theybegan to search forstorage space.When no warehouse space was
avai lable, they decided to use theInstitute buildings. It was a
good decision, but there weredrawbacks. One is that the school sits
on ahill and whenit rainstheroadbecomessomuddythat onlyafour wheel
drivewillclimb it. The first container up couldn't be removed
because thetractorcouldn't get upthemuddyhill tohookup. Bill
hadtoborrowa four wheel drive agricultural tractor to pull
thesemi-tractor up the hill. The next container had to be unloaded
belowand shuttled up in pickups, and the followingtwo were
maroonedup at thetopfor a weekin bad weather.In spite of
theseproblems, thedecision to use theinstituteforstoragespacewas
ablessing. Whenthe workteamfromHazelwood Christian Church came,
they were able to stay in theboy's dorm. It was alsopossible to
store all fourcontainersinthe facilities ofthe institute until
distribution could be effected.Unfortunately, the church services
in the chapel had to besuspendedfor lackof space.
Churchserviceswill returntonormalwithina week.As of January11th
classesare back in sessionwith Bill asthe teacher and eight
students ready to learn. The students
spendfreetimehelpingbagfoodand clothingfor distribution.
Billforesees aneedfor morebedsfortheschool beforetheyearends. The
18th of Januaryanother visitingProfessorwill
bearrivingtohelpwiththeworkload. Oh! About that muddyroad: Bill is
bringingin aload of gravel eachday tomakeitpassablein all kinds of
weather.Aclass at the Bible
Institute.HOLYLANDSeptember29thBillandMargy leftKnoxville,
Tennessee, forNewYorkwhere theyjoined49others inatriptoJordan
andIsrael.Arefuelingstop was made in Amsterdambefore
arrivinginAmman, Jordan, at5;30p.m. theirtime. The 11
daytripwasoneoflittlerest butincredible excitement astheyvisited
place afterplacethat is mentionedintheBible.This trip was
sponsoredby JohnsonBibleCollege. Jerr>'Mattingly, the
archeologyprofessor, arrangedthe trip andwasbasicallytheguide. Dr.
DavidEubanks, president ofJBC.accompanied the groupandgave much
spiritual insight intowhatwas being seen. It was dry season so the
weather was beautifulthroughout the tripandit waslate in
theseasonso themassivecrowds of tourists were gone.Jerash, Madaba,
Petra and Mt. Nebo were all exciting placesto visit in Jordan.
Jerash is a Graeco-Roman city and very wellpreserved.
Thiscitybelonged to the DECAPOLIS. Bill andMargystood on the
crossroads (paved with stones) which was the centerof the city.
Jerash had beenlaid outin an east to west and north
tosouthsystemwhich must have facilitatedtravel. Madabahadachurch
withthemost incrediblemosaic floor; it was amaprepresenting the
entire Holy land for the benefit of pilgrims. Billcould evenread
theGreek names of thecities. Mount Nebo wasspectacular; the view of
the Promised Land was a little obscured bydust andsmog, but
Mosesmust havebeenoverwhelmedby it. Petra(Sela) was as
breath-taking as anyone can imagine. There are nowords to describe
the site.IncomparisontoJordan, thearcheological sites
inIsraelseemed rather mundane, until one realized their
implicationto theChristian Faith. What impressed Bill and Margyin
Israel was notthe stones and buildings but the geographical
realities that theywere in the very place where the Bible
Narratives were lived. Billhatedthecommercialism that
seemedsopervasive, but lovedseeingtheplaces. Masadawas impressive
in asomberway.QumranremindedBill of theveracityof theSacredBook.
TheJordan river was less polluted inJesus' time. Galilee was
beautiful;Jesusmust havelovedtoreturn"home"from dusty,
crowdedJerusalem. Billsays that he was most moved by thetown
ofCapernaum. Somehow he felt that the ruins of the forth
centur>'synagogue helpedhim get morein touch with the Lord's
life andtimes than anyother place. InJerusalemthe Domeof the
RockwasA tourist map oftheHoly Land in Madaba.overwhelming.
Itreminded the Hoffs ofhowfirm anadversary wehave in ourbattle for
the souls of the nations and how improbableit is that peace will
never reign in Palestine. It is unfortunate thatBill and Margy have
nothad any time to"process" the trip. Infact,because
ofthehurricane, they haven't even viewed thevideo theytook. But
they will always begrateful forBill'sfamily for providingthemthe
opportunity to visit the Holy Land.JerashPetra Dome of
theRockMosqueCapernaumUnloadingtwocontainers at once.Awork
teamfromtheHazelwoodChristianChurch. Mar^andherfriend,Kathy.Getting
there is half thefun. A chain andfour-wheel drive Thiswasoncea
cornfield, hut thecreektookout all thesoilandvehicle help.
manyhouses.Aboveandright: Ourson,Mark, anddaughter,Rebecca,
helpeddistributetothevictimsof "Mitch."Multitudes waitingfor
distribution offood and clothes.These menfrom Hazelwood
rodethirtymiles out to theInstituteon
topofdonatedbalesofclothes.Aleck Gilen handingoutfood in"Jesus'
name."PERSONAL GLIMPSES --CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILYBill andI
havebeenexcitedfor several monthsknowingthat our
children(RebeccaandMarkandJoy) andJoy's parents(Rick and Becky
Rowan) would be coming for Christmas. Thereunion finally
tookplaceon December 19that theairport. 1wasconfused about the
arrival time, but I'm sure I made record timein getting there
onceRebecca called.The two-weekvisit wasa combinationofwork and
pleasure,but it all seemed fun withfamily. Twodifferent days were
spentinbaggingfoodand twodays indistribution. Acouple of timesMark
also delivered food to areas nearby. On December 23rdweall enjoyed
a dayatthebeach. Wehaddecidedthat onthefirst sunnyday, wewouldgo.
Thewaveswerehigh-justthewayMark, Beka, andBillenjoy it.The
Christmas Eve service was very uplifting. Following ahalfhour of
reading scripture interspersedwithChristmassongs, Bill hadthe
groupforma circle andeveryone participatedinthe Lord's Supper.
Snacks and drinks werethen served bythehotel. Our family
returnedhome and unwrapped gifts and thenwe visited a friend's
house for a big turkey dinner. The traditionhereis toshoot off
fireworks at midnight soMark andBekabought their share
andhadfunmakingalot of noise. OnChristmas daywe inviteda Taiwanese
familyand A1 Young(theprofessor at theBibleinstitute) toshare our
turkey and hamdinner. It was interesting to try and conversein
three differentlanguages.I made reservationsin October for allof us
to spendtwonights in cabins in a resort near the Copan Ruins.
FollowingChristmas we went on our mini-vacation. The time spent at
theMark, Joyand RebeccaRuinsand surrounding area
wasverybeautifulandrelaxing.Theweathercooperatedandit
wasquitecomfortable. Ourfamily enjoyed playing games inthe evening.
Another specialday was December 31st. We visitedthe waterfalls
which Isaboutan hour fromour home. Followingthisawe-inspiringsight
we drove to our friends'home near beautiful Lake Yojoawhere we
enjoyeda barbecue chickensupper. We then hurriedback to attendthe
New Year Eve's servicein Spanish. TomSchneller, our former coworker
preached.It was sad tosay goodbyetoMark andJoyandRick andBecky
Rowan on January 3rd. Rebecca was able to spend
fourmoredayswithusandwemadeuseof our timetogether. Wefeltvery
blessed to have had our family here for the holidays.Tno-o26z,eNX
arnAxoN^iniaxoaojSaOIA^3S NOISSMzz "ON
iiN-and'HniASSoyaivdHOVlSOd"STl'D^O Ild0>ld-N0Maiismbi}! loiA
ss3mavZi99 s:^'3!I!ASS0>{I St'Jiog odoui
'uoissji^iUB|jsuq3oifegXq paqsnqnjBAJIO CIIRISTIAN
MISSIONiswiilimi^Mends.^:-.-:v>:(.)nce again we wouldlike to
report on our minisirv- andhow we arc still involved in the
Huhicanei'iifiefsr.'-'work. -^ --" -V-'-v.-, "VV- The Bible
institute continues with eight students. The teachers thas far have
been Young. "".^myself, TimThomas, andcurrently Richard Gring.
Richard reportsthat it is difficult to teachstudentswith sucha wide
range of education. Onestudent has only finishedsecond
gradeandanother has :completed two years in the university', butthe
moreknowledgeable students are encouraged to help the-^r- ;oihers.
Richard istr> ing to also teachthemself-disciplineand theolder
onesreally appreciatethis. \Distribution of foodandclothing
continues about oncea week. As theneed arises theseitems
arebaggedby Marg>\ the Gilens(a Russianfamily whohas
helpedgreatlyin the relief work)andthe -students atthe
institutealong with Richard and Danielhis son. Slowly but surelythe
relief suppliesthatweresent in thefour containershavebeen withdrawn
fromthe institutewheretheyhavebeen storedsince ihey anived.
Medicines aredistiibuted as needed. N'owwe haveonly one room full
of food andclotliing. In fact, we have been buvingbeansat the local
market forthe latest distributions.Theproto-t>pe house/shelter
forthe Santa Ritaareahasbeen completed. TlielO'X 20' structurewas
built by Richard and DanielGring. Thestudentshelpedlay the cement
floor. Thepostswereput up,then the lamina roof was put on and then
the floor laid. The stnicture is wrapped in plastic until
theownersare able to fill in the walls with blockor adobebiick.
Approximate cost forthese houses areS400. Richard and Daniel hopeto
usethe students in the afternoons to continue ontliis project.
Ourfellowmissionary- friends, Todd and LynnellFields, are
ha\ingtheir workteams build these houses also.Tlietruck thatF.
A.M.E. senttoHonduras hasanived and is currently beingused tohaul
woodand other materials to the construction site. My impression is
tl\at it will take you any where you need togo, but deafen you in
the process.At least it hauls a good size load.Many have asked if
there is epidemics or many diseases since the hurricane. We are
happy to.report that the answer is "no." Many medical teams from
churchesand foreign countries (Cubandoet(have really made an
impact) continue to come and help those in need. It continues to
rain off and on iiHonduras which is a blessing for some and a
problemfor others. Some are waiting for the soil in thefields to
diy so they can sow, others are using the rain water as their only
source fordrinking.We appreciate your continued supportthrough
prayers and fmances for relief work. Ourintention was to send this
to you before Sunday, but we had telephone line complications on
Saturday; ;:;and were ver\' busy on Sunday. Marg\' and I will be
gone from Tuesday morning until Friday morning\ mini \'acation.
Wewill lr\- toanswer all e-mailsnext weekend.tMIServing in
Honduras^^Billa^^-Sg-pi"UNnB> STATESpXSALUDOSCM/MBill
Hoffg.l66MEXICO^SOinHAMERICA^Published QuarterlyfromBAJIO CHRISTIAN
MISSIONVol. 30, Number 2SanPedro SulaHonduras, Central
America504-566-3796e-mail:
[email protected]. Box61013Las Vegas,
NV89160-2013Summer 1999A Proud Mother - Personal GlimpsesExcitement
began buildingwithin Bill andmewhen we received a phonecall from
Mark andJoy last March stating that they were trying towork it
outsothatwe couldattend Mark's ordination service duringthetime
that we werein the States. We never considered thisas a
possibility.As missionaries weoften have tomiss events thatwewould
liketoattend butdistance prohibitsus from doing so. We trynot to
complain but accept thisas part of being amissionary ona foreign
field.When wearrivedinIndianawetalked withJoy'sdad,Rick Rowan,
aboutthedates that we hadavailable fortheordination. After speaking
with SteveRanson, theminister oftheHazelwood Christian Church, Mark
andJoywerecontacted and a Sanirday evening, April
24thwasscheduled.I don'tthink a mother canbeanyprouderthantohave
hersonordainedas a ministerin the church of the LordJesus Christ.
(I knowthat Bill felt thesame way). Bill was asked tosay a few
words, aswas Joy's father during theservice. The Hazelwood
churchhadplanned a lovely service andit was wellattended, Mark and
Joy were then commissioned to the missionfield. Areception followed
theservice.This Hazelwood church hasaccepted Bill and me
aspartoftheir family.We arethankful foralltheydoonourbehalf
andofcourse, we arehappy thatthey oversee Mark andJoy.The following
is part of theprinted program for Mark's ordination.Mark was bornto
Bill andMargyHoff September 29, 1974, inQueretaro, Mexico. During
his 17yearsin Queretaro, his parents taughthim theskills necessary
for ministry.He choseJohnson Bible College asa stepping
stonetoafutureministry. While in Knoxville,
hehelpedrestoreaSpanish-speakingcongregation andfoundhimself
helpingothermissionarykids adjust to life in the states using his
ownexperiences.Followinghis junior year in college, he took a
summeryouthinternposition atClear Creek Church ofChrist inAshland,
Ohio. After graduatingin May of 1996, heworked a yearat Greenwood
Christian Church as theyouth intern under Lee Faust. On July 26,
1997, he was married toJoyRowanwhomhe met at JohnsonBibleCollege.
They currentlylive inKnoxville, Tennessee. Markis working as an
electrician's apprentice asJoycompletes her Master's
yearineducation. They planto move toCostaRica in August of
thisyear.They willbeserving as teachersat theSojournAcademy
inthecapital city ofSanJose.This school is designed
toeducatemissionary childrenas their parents learn Spanish and the
Latin culture.Please prayfor them as they prepareto serve God in
this capacity.Mark's OrdinationMark&Joy at
reception.HoffandRowanfamilies.Seven Week TripBill hasalways wanted
totakeaspeaking triptotheStates during thespringor in the fall.
But, because of the children's schooling, thish;isnever
beenpossible. After Rebecca left home, Margy helped ina schoolfora
couple ofyears andwas only available toleave during thesummer.But
this year, a tripin the spring became a reality, When theplans
wereflrst made, the Hoffs did not realize that Hurricane Mitchwould
hit beforethe scheduled trip, andthat they would really
needthistime away.Bill andMargy Qew intoIndianapolis where Madonna
Spratt's sisterandbrother-in-law (Dan andMarilyn Nash) were waiting
with a car fordieHoffs touse. John and Madonna had purchased this
car,even thoughthey hadnever seenit. Bill repaired thebrakes
andthus, it was histousethroughout the trip,which amounted to
almost 7,000 miles. Rick andBecky Rowan (Joy's parents) werealso
attheairportwaiting toescortBillandMargy totheirhouse. The Hoffs
would enjoy theirhospitalityvarioustimes throughout theirstay in
theStates.After spending adaywith theRowans, theHoffs visitedDebi
andRickyOliva in Springfleld, Missouri. The Oliva family were
formerlyof SanPedro Sula and are close friends of Bill andMargy.
Five days were thenspentinJoplinwherethepersonnelat Good News
Productions produceda video oftheHoffs' workinHonduras. After
another day anda halfwiththe Olivas,Bill andMargy returned to
Indiana wherethey showed thevideo various times to churches and
friends.The highlight of thetripwas Mark's ordination service,
which tookplace onApril 24th. (Please seearticle ofPersonal
Glimpses.) Rebeccacame from Knoxville toattend theceremony, soitwas
anexciting time tobe with the children.The following week. Bill
andMargy drove toAlexandria, KY whereMarg\' on old Trout
homestead.Nathan Dungan, Bill&Mark discussing engine
reassembly.they stayed with theSchneller family. This close
friendship has lastedmany years. Duringthis six-day visit, the
Hoffs visited various friendsthroughout the area. They traveled
toGncinnati several times. Followinga speaking engagement in Ohio,
Bill and Margy drove to Pennsylvaniawhere they spokein
threechurches. All of these churches were onesinwhichMargy's
grandfather hadformerly preached, so they heldmanymemories for her.
TheHoffsenjoyed a couple of daysof relaxationbetween
engagements.After another day with the Schnellers,Bill and Margy
drove toKnoxville wheretheyspent almosttwelve days with Rebecca
andMarkandJoy. They alsovisited many of their friends on
theJohnsonBibleCollege campusandat theSeymour Christian Church
wheretheyonceattended. It was aver\' busy time, but oneofgreatfun
andfellowship.Margy's birthdaytookplaceduringthistime, soa
barbecuepicnicwasheld in her honorwith her family andfriends. Bill
spentseveral daysoverhaulingthe engineonRebecca's car. Marg>'
was verybusytransportingthe family becauseof a limited number of
vehicles. Butthe Lord wasgood in allowing the car to be finished
beforeBill had10 leave. Rebecca wasa "happy camper"when she drove
it toworkina newly repairedcondition.Sixo'clock on Sundaymorning.
May23rd, Bill and MargyleftKnoxville fora speaking engagement
inKennicky. Following theserviceandlunch with some friends, they
returned toIndiana andthefollowingday relumedthecar
toJohnandMadonna, who werethenintheStates.The Rowans took theHoffs
to theairport for a 6 a.m. fUght onTuesdaymorning, May 25th. They
hadan uneventful triphome.Many thanks toeveryone who made
thetripvery enjoyable.OldPennsylvania TollHouse.Loanedvehiclefrom
the Spratts.2 Ver/ Imeortjint Unnwincements!New VideoThe Hoffs have
a new video oftheirwork inHonduras. You may borrowa copybywriting
to Mission Services, Box 13111, Knoxville, TN 37920-0111or Darryi
Olson, Box451, Rossville, Ks 66533or
[email protected] on Hurricane ReliefAleckandHelen
Gilen, theHoffs Russian friends who helped duringtheflooding, are
administering the remainingfundingfor hurricanerelief.While Bill
and Margv' were in the States, the Gilens handled thefunds
anddelivered supplies. They alsopaidtheconstruction workers who
built theshelter/houses forthose needing them intheSanta Rita
areawhere most oftherelief was sent. The Gilens will continue
tohelp until theneeded housesarefinished. There arecurrently 107
houses constructed. The need forthistype of relief intheSanta Rita
areais drawing toa close.The students arebagging theremaining
clothing (about one quarter ofacontainer) fordistribution. There
arepeople living invillages very close
totheinstitutewhoneedadditional clothing. Alargedistributionof food
(whichbasically finished all ofthefood that was sent theHoffs)
andclothing, was madeby Bill andthestudents thesecondweekofJune.
The remainingclothingwill bedistributed before this letter goes
topress.Many thanksto all thosewhomadethe reliefworkpossibleeither
byproviding ftmding, helping with thecontainers, or coming to
Honduras tohelpin thedistribution. The people of Honduras will
forever be grateful.Housingfor hurricane victims.Carolyn
&GordonClifford whohelpedinhurricane relief.New VehicleThe
Hoffs urgendy needa new vehicle! Maintenance and down time
oncurrentvehicles isexcessive. The Mission isseekingspecial
contributionstotaling $20,000. Please send your contribution to
themission office.The Tyson Chastain FamilyI InJune of 2000 the
Chastain family plans to join Bill and Margy in-)^Jthe work of the
Bible Institute in Honduras. They will become schoolladministrators
andwill bethefirst non-students tolive
attheinstitute.Specificdutieswill includemaintenance, purchasing,
andcoordinationof thestudent work program, coordination ofchapel
services, someleaching, aswell aspromotion ofandrecruitment
fortheschool. Theirparticipation in thisministry will allow Bill
Hoff, founder, todedicatemoreof his time to teaching.Tyson
iscurrently a student atJohnson Bible College inKnoxville,TN andis
planning tograduate intheyear2000 with a degree in
BibleandMissions. HeandBetsy were married September 15,1991
andarethe parents of three children:Drew, Skyler and Briscoe.
(Excerptsfromthe February1999 issue of the Horizonsmagazine printed
inKnoxville, Tennessee).Needless to say, the Hoffs are very excited
abouttheir future co-workers andenjoyed spending some time widi
them during theirvisitin Knoxville.TCanJohnsonBible College student
workteam.Getting to Know ThemTheCurrent classof studentshas
beenstudying at the BibleInstitutesincelateSeptember of last year.
Nanirally, there was a large break during the disaster caused
byHurricane Mitch. But inthattime, we have hadtwo visiting
professors. Richard Gring whotaught anddesigned, and(with thehelp
ofstudent labor,) built thefirst ten houses that wereerected for
thehomeless from thestorm. The next professor was Al Young.AI
hastaughtmoreclassesthanhe originallyintended. Hewas marooned in
HondurasduringtheHurricane. Healsohaspersonal commitments thathave
kepthim hereforseveral months.His presence made possible theHoffs
triptotheStates thisspring. Hetaught during theirabsence. He
hasalso served by preaching at theInternational Christian
Fellowship.Each newsletter will give a briefautobiography
ofoneofthesix students currently attheinstitute. The first featured
student is Emilio Aldona. He is a native ofa small village inthe
Merendon Mountains (which sit to the west of San Pedro Sula.) He
entered school atseven years ofage andstudied four years. He says
that by thelime hewas fourteen hehadbegun awild life that lead
toabusing alcohol andwasting himself onprostitutes. At twenty-five
years ofage hemarried andsettled down some, He relates that
thebirthofhischildwasthehappiest day inhis life. But soon doctors
discovered abone cancer inhis wife's leg. Themedics wanted
toamputate, butfear oflosing herleg, drove herfrom tiie hospital.
MadonnaBurget Sprattwenttotheir housetovisit andconvinced
themthattheonlyhopefor hiswife'srecovery wasin theoperation. After
diesurgery, sherecovered ina relatives' house inSanPedro. While
there she went to a church and became convinced of her need
forsalvation.She tried toinvite her husband tovisit thechurch widi
her, but he refused andcontinued inseveral vices. When hiswife
returned to themountain,Madonna helped the family inmany ways. She
was overjoyed to hear that the lady had accepted the Lord. Madonna
asked Emilio when he was goingtoaccept the Lord also. Emilio's wife
pointed out tohim that Madonna was aChristian, and tried toconvince
him Uiat heneededJesus. Then one eveningatadance, Emilio was
drinkingwith afriend and hesaid Iam going toaccept Christ tomorrow.
The next morning heand his drinking buddy both madeadecision
inchurch andthenext week they were baptized. He said that
hecouldn't return totheoldlife style, sowhen hiswife died ofthebone
cancerfour months later, hecontinued going to church. In 1998 when
the preacher ofthe church which hewas attending accepted another
ministry, heleftEmilio in chaise ofthe church. Later, missionaries
offered to send him tothe Bible Institute and he decided to attend.
Emilio says diat his goal istolearn the Word so that hecan bethe
fountain through which people can find salvation. He goes home
twice aweek topreach and be wiUi his son.ZZOMlIWHSdSM
'anussoaaivdaovisod s noao lUOHdA'ON\\\O-0Z6Lt MlaniAXGNraTTiei
XOQOdSH01A^3S NOISSMEmilioAldonaammdMniAmsssuaav^599SM
'aniASSoa15^xog od3UI 'uoissiwuBijsuq^ oftegXq
paqsqqndUNrnOSTATESMEXICOSOUTHAMERICAPublishedQuarterlySALUDOS!fromBAJIO
CHRISTIAN MISSIONVol. 30, Number 3M/M BUI HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro
SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3^96e-mail:
[email protected] OfficeP.O. Box
61013Las\'egas,NV 89160-2013FaU1999Joys and TearsrrvnTi [DDC3SS
wunmcniiDDQDuringthelasttwoandahalfyears wehavebeenblessed
bybeingableto minister to the English speakingcommunity here
inSanPedro Sula.TheMinistryisa people experience. 1remember someone
saving,"The Churchwould be perfect if it were not for all the
people." W'e know that the word"church" means, "called out ones."
What wouldthe "called out ones"bewithout the "ones"? The church
exists to nurture people: justified peoplebeingsanctified andbound
for heaven. Unfortunatelv, thepeopleare intheprocess of
becomingsaintsand are lessthan perfect. In the congregation
toofrequentlythere is friction and strife, The potential for those
problems ismultiplied in a multicultural congregation, so we have
totrv to help thebelievers to overcome the old personality traits
that Paul mentions in theGaiatians' letter, and to be transformed.
\X'cthen have to teach that, "each
istoconsiderothersbetterthanhimself." Ineverv voluntarvorganization
thereexistthe rootsof self-destruction. Soministering tothe
InternationalChristianFellowshipis an experienceindiplomacyand
loveand forgiveness.Preaching is a lesser part of the ministry-.
Thepreaching is sharedbetween severalmen in the congregation on a
rotational basis; likewise, themeditationsfor the Lord'sSupper,
theworshipleaderand children'steachers.The real ministry-
isencouragingpeople to work together and to growin theLord. Marg)-
and I spend several hours a week organizing the sen'ices,producing
bulletins, and locatingteachers and other volunteers. The
churchrelieson participation of manvpeople each Lord's dav.Thejoys
of the ministn" are in the ",-\h!" moments. Thev are thosemoments
when someone suddenlydiscovers a great spiritual truth for
theirlife. Thereisthe joy of seeing thechildrengrowin
theirunderstandingoftheLord.
Andnothingcomparestoseeingsomeonecommit theirlifeto theLord.This
ministry- is not without tears.Just recendyone of the families
inthechurch losttheirson. As acongregation andindividually, we
hadbeeninearnestpraver forhishealing for overtwovears. The Lord
didnotheal himand it pains us to see the sufferingin the
livesofones wecarefor. Because of thevaried churchbackgrounds
ofourcongregation, wefrequendy heartheverse, "bvHisstripes
wearehealed," andI wonderedwhy God did not heal him. I began to
doubt that we had all done ourpart. I struggled withthe question
until I wasstudying in Peter's firstepisde (2:20-24) where he
explains the proper use of that verse fromIsaiah.Hesaysthat the
"HealingPowerofChrist'swounds"isinrelationto our sins, (not our
phvsical bodies.)The International ChristianFellowship
isanexcitingadventurein anon-homogeneouscongregation. Needs are
being met in theEnglish speakingcommunitybecause
thechurchisgrowinginnumbersand in the participation ofthe members.
The attendance is80or abovemost Sundays. Thechurchis lookingforward
tocontinuedgrowthandto becominga positiveforce for evangelismin the
community. Pravforthe ministr\'. Spechr/pivgnvi/ ofn/nsic, puppds
und tvstin/onks.Uonhplfa